Whistling cap for gas appliances



April 17, 1951 LA VERNE o. ELLINGSON 2,549,300

WHISTLING CAP FOR GAS APPLIANCES Filed Oct. 11, 1946 Patented Apr. 17, 1951 WHISTLING CAP FOR GAS APPLIANCES La Verne 0. Ellingson, Monrovia, Caliii, assignor to Lowell and Grayson Manufacturing Company, Monrovia, Califi, a corporation of California Application October 11, 1946, Serial No. 702,793.

I This invention relates to a new and improved whistle cap for gas appliances for the purpose of purging the line of air at the time of installation of the appliance, the audible signal given by the cap when loosened to allow air flow through it being used to remind the plumber or other workman to be sure to close the cap gastight before leaving the job, the invention being herein illustrated as applied to a thermostatic gas valve designed and adapted to be used in connection with storage type water heaters.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a device of the kind mentioned in which an easily vibratable musical reed is mounted inside a closure cap loosely covering an elongated slot provided in the threaded shank portion of the cap, whereby when the cap is loosened the escaping air, and, later, gas, will vibrate the reed so as to give a whistling, sound to serve as a reminder to the installer not to leave the cap loose any longer than necessary after the gas has arrived at the pilot light.

The invention is illustrated in theaccompanyingdrawing, in which Figs. 1 and 2 are a side view and inner end view, respectively, of a whistle cap made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4, and partly in side elevation of a thermostatic gas valve equipped with the whistle cap, the valve being shown applied to the tank of a storage type water heater; 7

Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 3, showing the whistle cap in end elevation, and

Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line '55 of Fig. 3, with the valve shown in open position.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout these views.

Referring to the drawing, in which a thermostatic gas cock similar to that forming the subject matter of John H. Grayson application, Serial No. 629,592, filed November 19, 1945, now Patent No. 2,524,788, dated October 10, 1950, is disclosed, the reference numeral 6 designates a cast hollow valve body, the neck I of which is threaded into an adaptor 8 suitably fixed in the wall 9 of the tank of a gas burning water heater, l0 and II designating the tube and rod elements of the thermostat projecting into the tank to cause the operation of the valve in response to changes in temperature of the water. Without going into the details, the valve i2 which is normally closed by means of a spring 13 will when the thermostat is cooled off by reason of a drop in temperature of the water open the valve by P '4. Claims. (01. 12.7 102) means of the push rod M, the valve being shown in the opened position in Fig. 3, in spaced rela-- tion to the seat [5 provided on the outer end of the'tapered plug 1 B. The plug l6 fits in a taperedbore I! in the body 6 and is rotatable through. by means of a lever I 8 working in a slot 18'.v

provided in the wall of the body 6.. The body .6 has a hollow neck l9 cast integral therewith into which the gas supply pipe 20: is threaded f or delivery of gas through a radial port 2L com-.

municating with the bore [1. An arcuate passage 22 in the periphery of the plug l6 extends through 90, as shown in Fig. 5, and in the on:

position of the plug establishes communication between the port 2| and another radial port 23 in the body, the latter port communicating with a longitudinal passage 24 that has communication with a chamber 25 in the end of the body communicating with the large end of the bore I1 and closed by a plug 26.

of the conical spring I 3, mentioned previously, is seated. When the valve I2 is open and plug 16 is in the on position, it is, therefore, clear that gas is delivered to the axial bore 28 in the plug [6 and is conducted through a radial outlet port 29 and throughan outlet, pipe .30 to the, burner (not shown) :for heating the water in the, tank.9 in the usual way. A sleeve valve 3| which is inserted with a close working fit in an.en largement 32 of one leg of the L-shaped passage,

33 provided in the body 6 has a radial port 34 communicating with the other leg of said passa e, and one end of thesleeve 3| is closed, as indicated at 35, and has a screw driver slot ,pro-

vided therein to permit turning the valve 3| forpermanently restricting the flow of gas to-the' burner accordingly as the gas pressure in a given locality may require. A plug 36 closes the hole 3'! in the body 6 through which access :maybe had to the slot in the end of the valve 3| and serves to seal the body against gas leakage at this point. 1

In operation, the plu I6 is turned by means of i I This plug has a central recess 21 therein in which the large end and remains closed until there is a sufiicient drop in temperature of the water in the tank to cause the thermostat to open the valve. A pilot light (not shown) is supplied with gas from the supply pipe 20 through the usual bypass in the usual way and is disposed adjacent the main burner to ignite it.

In accordance with the present invention an elongated slot 38 is provided in the threaded shank portion 39 of the cap 26 and an easily vibratable musical reed 40 is soldered or otherwise suitably secured at one end 4| to the inside of the shank portion 39 so that the reed loosely covers the greater portion of the slot, as clearly appears in Figs. 1 and 2, whereby when the cap'26 is loosened by means of a wrench applied to the square embossed portion 42 at the time of installation of the water heater or other appliance in connection with which the valve of which the cap 26 forms a part is used, the escaping air, and later, gas, will vibrate the reed 40 so as to give a whistling sound and serve as a reminder to the plumber or other workman making the installation of the appliance to be sure to close the cap 26 gas-tight before leavin the job. In fact, the whistle will be sufficiently noticeable so that the average workman is not apt to leave the cap loosened any longer than necessary after the gas has arrived at the pilot light and the pilot light can be lighted and the main burner lighted thereby. With my invention, the gas pipes may be purged of air quickly and easily and without even a remote likelihood of a careless workman leaving the job with gas leaking in an amount sulficient to constitute a real hazard to the household where the installation is made. A gasket 43' is compressed between the rim 44 of the cap 26 and the valve body 6 when the cap is tightened, whereby to prevent gas leakage.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. In a gas valve, comprising a body having a threaded opening and containing a valve, thermostatic means for opening the valve, spring means for closing the valve, and a closure cap having a shank portion threaded in said opening to close the same normally gas-tight, said cap providing also an abutment for said spring means, the improvement which consists in the provision of a slot in the shank portion of said cap arranged to be uncovered by loosening the cap for escape of air in purging the gas line to the valve of air in the installation of the valve, and a slender vibratable sound producing reed mounted on the inside of said shank portion loosely covering at least the major portion of said slot and adapted to be vibrated and sounded by flow of air and gas through the slot.

2. In a gas valve, comprising a body having a threaded opening and containing a valve, and a closure cap having a shank portion threaded in '4 i said opening to close the same normally gastight, the improvement which consists in the provision of a slot in the shank portion of said cap arranged to be uncovered by loosening the cap for escape of air in purging the gas line to the valve of air in the installation of the valve, and a slender vibratable sound producin reed mounted on the inside of said shank portion loosely covering at least the major portion of said slot and adapted to be vibrated and sounded by flow of air and gas through the slot.

3. In a gas valve, comprising a body havin a threaded opening and containing a valve, and a closure cap having a shank portion threaded in said opening to close the same normally gastight, the improvement which consists in the provision of a slot in the shank portion of said cap arranged to be uncovered by loosening the cap for escape of air in purging the gas line to the valve of air in the installation of the valve, a slender vibratable sound producing reed mounted on the inside of said shank portion loosely covering at least the major portion of said slot and adapted to be vibrated and sounded by flow of air and gas through the slot, said cap having a radially projecting rim portion in outwardly spaced relation to said slot, and a compressible gasket surroundin said shank between said rim and said slot.

4. In a gas valve, comprising a body having a threaded opening and containing a valve, thermostatic means for opening the valve, spring means for closing the valve, and a closure cap having a shank portion threaded in said opening to close the same normally gas-tight, said cap providing also an abutment for said spring means, the improvement which consists in the provision of a slot in the shank portion of said cap arranged to be uncovered by loosening the cap for escape of air in purging the gas line to the valve of air in the installation of the valve, a slender vibratable sound producing reed mounted on the inside of said shank portion loosely covering at least the major portion of said slotand adapted to be vibrated and sounded by flow of air and gas through the slot, said cap having a radially projecting rim portion in outwardly spaced relation to said slot, and a compressible gasket surrounding said shank between said rim and said slot.

LA VERNE O. ELLINGSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 215,433 Bucknam May 20, 1879 614,215 Pieters Nov. 15, 1899 651,793 Brown June 12, 1900 1,606,519 Exten Nov. 9, 1926 1,773,698 Spencer Aug. 19, 1930 2,347,193 Hammand Apr. 25, 1944 2,362,011 Jefiers Nov. 7, 1944 

